AirAsia hits half a billion guests!

In just sixteen years, AirAsia has flown over 500 million guests to over 130 destinations, many of which are unique destinations that only AirAsia flies to.

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said, “We started this airline in 2001 with just 2 planes and 200 Allstars based in Malaysia. Today, we have more than 200 planes, over 20,000 Allstars of 50 different nationalities and half a billion guests, 60 percent of which were first time flyers.

Half a billion guests is no small feat – it represents seven times the population of Thailand, sixteen times the population of Malaysia and about 80 percent of the entire Asean population (640 million, 2018*).

“We would like to attribute this incredible milestone to every single guest who has flown with AirAsia. We are delighted to have been part of the flying experiences and memories of so many people and communities around the world, especially across Asean. We are also proud to have contributed to the region’s economy through tourism and job creation,” he added.

The 500 millionth guest, 34-year old Dr Panut Oprasertsawat took AirAsia over the half a billion mark when he flew from Phuket to Bangkok Don Mueang on 18 March 2018.

Dr Panut Oprasertsawat said, “I travel frequently between Bangkok and Phuket for work. AirAsia has always been my preferred airline due to their high flight frequency, affordable price and excellent services. Over the past decade, I have been able to manage my business at both places thanks to AirAsia’s connectivity. I am excited to be part of this milestone.”

AirAsia is proud to be a market leader in air connectivity within Asean. Since its early days, AirAsia initiated routes which were previously unheard of, including between East Malaysia and Peninsular Malaysia. The airline was also the first to introduce international flights to Bandung, Indonesia, which has now grown to be a key international hub.

Most recently, the UK-based air travel intelligence company OAG reported that Singapore-Kuala Lumpur is the busiest international route, with AirAsia now holding the largest share of capacity.